Qur’an Cover-to-Cover: Day 6 (“The morning star”, …)
My course through the Qur’an continues today with chapters 86, 54 and 38. I’m tackling fewer chapters in this post because Surah 38 is quite long and I have quite a lot to say about it…
Surah 86 – “The morning star” (At-Tariq)
This chapter begins by reminding man from what he was made. In the same way that Allah created them from nothing, He is able to give them life again on Judgement Day. The authority of the Qur’an is reasserted, as is God’s control over the events of life.
Questions
Q1. What does aya 4 mean when it says “There is no soul but that it has over it as a protector”? Is it saying that every soul has a protector? If so, is this Allah or an angel?
Q2. Does semen really emerge “from between the backbone and the ribs”? sperm production is far lower than that.
Surah 54 – “The moon” (Al-Qamar)
This chapter refers to the miracle performed by Muhammad for the people of the Quraysh, but is dismissed by them as “passing magic”. Allah tells Muhammad that the people have already received fair warning and to leave them for Judgement Day. In an effort to warn the Quraysh, the Qur’an once more recalls those who disbelieved in the past and who were destroyed:
- Those in Noah’s day
- The people of Aad
- The people of Thamud
- The people of Lot
- The people of Pharaoh
Each of these examples are separated with the refrain “And We have certainly made the Qur’an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?”.
Questions
Q1. I’ve heard it asserted multiple times that Muhammad did no miracles except the production of the Qur’an itself. On the basis of this chapter, I assume this is incorrect?
Q2. What is the “seizure” referred to in relation to Pharaoh? Is this a describing the death of the first-born recorded in the Old Testament?
Q3. How literal should we understand “all things We created with predestination”? Does Allah destine people for Hell?
Q4. Does “Our command is but one” simply mean “worship Allah alone”?
Surah 38 – “The letter sad” (Sad)
This is quite a long chapter with 88 ayat and it covers quite a bit of ground in terms of material. Here we encounter many of the characters from the Old Testament, albeit in stories not recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures.
The poem begins with the musings of the Quraysh concerning Muhammad, saying that he “is a magician and a liar”, that “he made the gods [only] one God”. The leaders of the tribe instruct the others to continue in defense of their gods and that Muhammad is only trying to gain prestige for himself. They also say that “We have not heard of this in the latest religion”. A footnote in my Qur’an says that this is a reference to either Christianity or the Paganism of the Quraysh. I think the latter is more likely, unless the people misunderstood Christianity since it also teaches monotheism. Allah is indignant that “they are in doubt about My message” and follows-up by saying that “they have not yet tasted My punishment”.
We now retreat familiar territory by recalling all the people to whom God sent prophets:
- The people of Noah,
- Aad,
- Pharaoh,
- Thamud
- The people of Lot
- The people of Midian to whom the prophet Shuaib was sent.
All these people were punished for not believing the prophets Allah sent them. The implication concerning Muhammad is clear.
Muhammad is told to be patient and to recall “Our servant, David, …who repeatedly turned back [to Allah]”. The text alludes to the psalms and there are then a couple of lovely ayat which describe the birds and the mountains praising God along with David. It then recounts an event in David’s life which isn’t recorded in the Old Testament, but which bears more than a passing resemblance to the parable told to David by the Prophet Nathan (2 Samuel 12:1-15)…
We are told that two men climb over the wall of David’s “prayer chamber”, startling him. They then ask him to judge a case between them . We find out that one brother who has 99 ewes and has “overpowered…in speech” the other brother and took the only ewe of his possession. David judges in favour of the brother who lost his ewe. David himself then repents to Allah. The text doesn’t make it clear as to why he does this, but my footnote says that it is “For his errors, such as fear and suspicion of the two men at the outset, any mistake in judgment he might have made, concealed feelings of partiality”.
David’s son Solomon is now mentioned and an incident concerning racehorses is narrated, which I’m afraid I don’t really understand. We are told that Allah gave Solomon power over the wind and also the Jinn. The latter certainly has a foundation in Jewish tradition, with Solomon being well-known for his powers of exorcism (this is one of the reasons why, when Jesus exorcised the demon in Matthew 12:22-23, people asked “Could this be the son of David?”).
Next we come to Job. In the Old Testament book of that name, Job is never given any explanation as to why he is suffering, but in this surah, Job cries out to God that Satan is tormenting him. In response, Allah tells him to strike the ground with his foot to create a spring which will give him refreshment. We’re also told that during his illness, Job swore that if he recovered he would give his wife one hundred lashes. As a sign of mercy, Allah tells him to gather one hundred blades of grass and then strike her just once with those.
Our list of Old Testament figures begins to draw to a close by mentioning Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We are told that Allah “chose them for an exclusive quality: remembrance of the home [of the Hereafter]”. This seems anachronistic to me, since a Final Judgement and developed afterlife isn’t really found in Genesis, which is why the Sadducees denied it. Finally, our Hall Of Fame of prophets concludes with references to “Ishmael, Elisha and Dhul-Kifl“, the last of whom is sometimes associated with Ezekiel.
We are no treated to a description of Paradise and Hell. Paradise is described as “gardens…[with] abundant fruit and drink”. It will apparently be populated with “women…of equal age”. Clearly this description was made with men in mind! In contrast, in Hell people burn. It is filled with “scalding water…foul purulence” and torments of various kinds! Those who were led to Hell by their leaders will cry out “double punishment in the Fire” for them.
Allah tells Muhammad to repeat his basic message, the Muslim equivalent of the Gospel, that there is no God but Allah and that he is mighty and a “Perpetual Forgiver”. This is described as “great news” from which people turn away.
Allah then describes when he created humans from clay and gave them life. All fell down and prostrated with the exception of “Iblees” (Satan), who thought himself better than man because God had made him from fire. For this rebellion, Allah casts Iblees out of Paradise, but grants him a “reprieve” until the Final Judgement. Satan promises to mislead all mankind, with the exception of those who are Allah’s servants. Allah says He will eventually throw Satan and those he misleads into Hell.
Questions
Q1. Why do they refer to Muhammad as “a magician” off the strength of the splitting of the moon. Were there other miracles?
Q2. Is the event concerning David really meant to have happened in history? In the Old Testament it is a parable.
Q3. Please explain the incident with Solomon and the racehorses.
Q4. Does aya 35 mean that Solomon could control the wind?
Q5. Does aya 45 mean that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob taught the Final Judgement and Resurrection? Where do we find this in the Old Testament.
Q6. When Allah commanded the Angels and Jinn to prostrate before Adam, it can’t have been worship. Therefore, what makes a prostration an act of respect and another an act of worship.
Q7. When Allah speaks to Satan about the Final Judgement, he says it is “the Day of the time well-known”. Does that mean Satan knows when this Day will be?
When I speak to an Imam, I’m going to ask whether there is meant to be a flow throughout the chapters, because it really does seem to bounce around topics in a rather haphazard manner.
From today’s text, the pattern of argumentation in the Qur’an is now becoming clear. Muhammad sees himself as a prophet in a long line of prophets. Those who ignored those prophets suffered and so will anyone not listening to Muhammad.